Could the end be near for the Tamil Tigers? A military offensive by the Sri Lankan government has made historic gains against the rebel force and appears set to conclude the bloody civil war that has lasted a quarter of a century and devastated the country. This vicious insurgency has claimed far too many lives, but a military victory, no matter how crushing, will not end the violence. A political settlement is the only solution to an enduring peace in Sri Lanka.
For over 25 years, Tamil rebels have fought the Sinhalese majority, charging that the government in Colombo discriminates against the Tamils who make up 12 percent of the island's population of 20 million. The Tamils have demanded a homeland in the northeast of the island; their sophisticated and vicious attacks have kept the government on the defensive and permitted the Tamil Tigers to carve out an enclave that they used as a sanctuary. Over the course of the conflict, it is estimated that 70,000 people have been killed and the island is today better known for the savage fighting than its tropical splendor.
Tamil successes owe a great deal to the ruthlessness of their leader, Mr. Velupillai Prabhakaran. With financial support from the Tamil diaspora, he transformed the Tamil Tigers into a fearsome, disciplined militia with its own air force and navy. Suicide attacks that deployed women wearing explosive wreaths — victims of which include Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi — were especially horrific and successful.